3 Worcester County drug cases affected by state lab scandal

Sunday

Oct 7, 2012 at 11:00 AMOct 7, 2012 at 11:16 AM

By Scott J. Croteau TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

The Worcester district attorney’s office has identified three cases in which former state chemist Annie Dookhan signed the drug certifications, Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. confirmed this morning.

The discovery was made Friday, while officials from Mr. Early’s office continued to check a list of cases that might be affected cases.

“It appears that we have three cases where the drug certificates have Annie Dookhan’s name on them,” Mr. Early said this morning. “I can’t identify them (the defendants) at this time.”

The cases involve an investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and were prosecuted in Worcester Superior Court, Mr. Early said. The case involved a bust involving more than 100 pounds of marijuana.

While Mr. Early did not identify the names involved in the cases, he said all three are co-defendants. At least one person is serving time in a prison facility, and it appears that person is scheduled to be released sometime in December 2013, Mr. Early said.

Another defendant is wanted on a default warrant, and the third case is still being reviewed.

“There was a stipulation between defense counsel and the prosecutor before trial that the drug was in fact marijuana,” Mr. Early said. It is unclear if that agreement was made based on the test results.

Mr. Early believes the marijuana in the case went to the now closed Jamaica Plain drug lab, called the Hinton State Lab, because of the DEA’s involvement in the case. Drugs from the Worcester district attorney’s office go to UMass Memorial Medical Center for testing.

The defense lawyers will be notified along with the DEA, Mr. Early said.